Akong iring nanglungkab ug bahaw,

nganong 'di naman tawn ni siya maminaw,

gilutuan na gani ug inihaw,

nangita pa ug bahaw,

'Di man sad ganahan ug sabaw,

ako na intawn mabuang ug mahimo'g amaw.

Nagpadagat kami kan saróng aldáw
Ta ako pirmi na sana bagang ribaráw
Gusto ko man sanang malingáw
Kaya uni nagbabaláw-bagáw
Kaibahan si Papa naglangoy sa taháw
Kan dagat asin pagkatapos mabalnáw
Maugmahon lang ngunyan na aldáw
Makakan kan dara ni Mama maski na bahaw
Itong inihaw na manok tapos sabaw
Igwa pang masiramon na lugaw
Si tugang yaon sa pampang naglalakaw-lakaw
Garo may balak na magpalataw-lataw
Aram kong masakit makakuha nin ilaw
Na mataong kusog buot na mapukaw
Sa satuyang kalag na nakatúkaw
Garo baga bagong mata, mungaw-mungáw
Mabagsak man an bulalákaw
An masinggayang pagmati ma-ibábaw
Sa kinaban, Dawa pa an inaaagihan ta halangkaw
Udók sa buot asin bakong karáw
An makaibahan kamo, Dai malilingaw
Na mapadagat ulit kita sa masuronod na aldáw.

—𝐔𝐝𝐨𝐤 𝐬𝐚 𝐁𝐮𝐨𝐭,  a Bikol poetry

I always envision you
In the mountains
across the sea
In a silent retreat

You left a few years ago
Homeward bound
I am in a city
You are spreadeagled on the sand
Under the stars

You think about me
I think about you

One night the world was being ravaged by a storm
You were someplace else
Dark
Cold
"Do not ride the boat home", I said.
We were up all night
Thumbspeak
Black
Pitch-black
I could see you
In the flame of my matchstick
I could even hear your laughter
My heart was being ravaged by the storm
You were my anchor.

You swam the sparkling seas
Your iridescent skin
And I wish I was there
You said you wish I was there

"I am getting thin," you said.
Thumbspeak,
I could hear your labored breathing

I could see you climb the mountains
I could see you bathing in the sun
I could hear you preach
I could see you staring at the night sky
Could see your eyelashes across the universe

"Goodnight"
"Goodnight"

Then you cut off
Thinking I cut off

Summer
Rain
Summer
Time has passed

August. September. October. November. December. January. February. March. April.

We stare up at the clouds

"Isugba"
What?
"Inihaw"

"I missed you."

"I missed you."

"No, you did not"
"I did."
"Why?"
"You stopped speaking to me"
"No, you stopped speaking to me"
"I missed you."

I could clearly see you again
In the flame of my matchstick
Against the sun
In the rain
In the dark
In the wind

I was there with you again
Counting the stars
Swimming the seas
And climbing the mountains
And preaching
And soaring in the sky
And tasting the salt of the seawater
And plunging the depths of the sea
of your soul
of your heart


I am now anchored.